John Adams to Abigail Adams

[dateline] Philadelphia August 6. 1776

Yours of 29 July came by this days Post, and made me very happy. Nabby, Charles, and
Tommy, will have the small Pox, well, I dont doubt. Tell John he is a very lucky young
Gentleman, to have it so much better, than his Mamma, his sister, and Brothers.

Mr. S[amuel] A[dams] will set out for Boston, on Monday, the 12. of August. I shall write by him. But
I will not neglect Writing a few Lines by the Post.—I have written a Resignation of
my Place here, to the General Court, sometime ago,1 but it seems, they were adjourned, and therefore will not be able to consider the
Matter, untill the 28 of this Month, when they will send some other Person here in
my Stead.—How I am to get home I dont know. When I see how Mr. A. goes, I will write
you more particularly upon the subject. Whether to hire a Horse here, or to have a
Man and two Horses come for me, I am not determined, must leave all undetermined at
present. I want the Exercise of a Journey so much, that I must return soon. The General
Court will appoint some one to relieve me, I hope,2 the first Thing they do, after they come together. I shall take it for granted, that
{ 81 } they will sett off, accordingly. My Health is so infirm that I can stay no longer.

We are in daily Expectation of some decisive Stroke at N. York. Dunmore has fled from
Cheasapeak, and Clinton from Charlestown, and both have joined How, at Staten Island.

1. On 25 July; see JA to AA, 11 July, above, and note 3 there. The General Court did not relieve JA, and the military crisis around New York caused him to continue his attendance in
Congress until mid-October.

Cotton Tufts to John Adams

[dateline] Weymouth Augt. 6th. 1776

[salute] Dear Sr.

Last Week I received Yours of July the 20th. also Dr. Rushs Letter on Inoculation
for which You and the learned and benevolent Dr. have my sincere Thanks.1 He has thrown much Light upon the Subject and the Simplicity of his Method I admire.
The whole Art seems to me to lay in reducing the Body to such a State as to prevent
any great Degree of Inflammation or Febrile Motions. An Attention to the Subject must
I think convince any Person, that an entire Alteration of the Blood and Juices and
the removal of inveterate obstructions is not absolutely necessary to a Persons going
thro' the Disorder safely: Indeed where any of the noble organs are unsound, I think
it unsafe. It can never be supposd that Six or Seven Days Dieting, 30 or 40 Grains
of Mercury and 2 or 3 Purges or even Purges administred every Day for that Time, will
be sufficient for removing old obstructions that in Common Practice would require
Months and perhaps Years—from all which it may be inferd (as People of this Class
have it safely) That nothing more is necessary than to discharge from the Body all
superfluous Juices and Fluids and especially to free the more open Passages from Impurities.

The Small Pox has this Time (I mean received by Inoculation) provd very untoward in
its Operations—not that many have died of it, but the Infection has been extremely
slow in its Progress, from Inoculation to Eruption. Many have run from 14 to 16 Days,
others as the Physicians aver to 21 Days. Of the last am in doubt, but as it is new
to me am seeking for evidence thinking it may be of Importance to have it determined.
In 1764 scarce any one exceeded 14 Days and upon a Medium broke out the 10 or 11th.
Day. The first Incisions { 82 } now faild in vast Numbers. Many have been inoculated a first, second and even to the
Sixth Time and many after all took it in the natural Way. My Son was inoculated for
a 5th. Time after the 20th. Day. Afterwards it was found that his fourth Incision
had taken effect. He is now in the Eruptive State.

In my last, wrote about 10 or 15 Days past, I gave You an Accountt of the State of
your Family. That wrote the 5th. July You mention the receipt of. Mrs. Adams I suppose
did not then write to you <as
I expected> being unwell but forwarded mine as deliverd. In my last I believe I mentiond the
Recovery of your Family. Mrs. Adams, John and Thomas have indisputably gone thro the Distemper and are very well, Nabby and Charles there is some doubt
off, and have been reinoculated. Complaints of the variolous Kind they had, and may
possibly be sufficiently securd.

Dr. Bulfinch who inoculated in our Families, out of 13 the first Inoculation faild
in 4 or 5 and this has been the Case with other Inoculators in the Town. To what Cause
to ascribe it am at a Loss—whether to reducing the Patient too low, to the Season
of the Year, to the Age of the Matter or Hurry and Carelessness of the Inoculators—perhaps
they may all have their Influence. Indeed should we find the last to be the sole Cause
We need not wonder. Messrs. Bulfinch and Jos. Gardner according to the best Information
I can obtain have inoculated each 1000 Persons. Think You what Attendance must their
Patients have. I have been in Pain for my Friends, and have been with them as much
as I could. Multitudes Seven or Eight Days after Inoculation have had their Incisions
inflamd—a feverish Turn—some Eruptions—these indeed have died away without filling
up—seven or Eight Days or ten after, have had the true Eruptions. Others who supposed
that they had gone through with it in this Manner had it afterwards in the natural
Way. In short there never was in any Place or among any Physicians such Doubts and
Uncertainties with respect to the Eruptions or the Operations of Inoculation. Many
are now uncertain whether they have had it after 4 or 5 Weeks stay in Town. It is
now 11 at Night, must brake off for the present, propose to Visit our Friends at Boston
in the Morning and shall then close my Letter with an Accountt of their State.

[dateline] 7th.

Am now at Boston, find Mrs. Adams, John and Thos. safely through the Disorder. Eruptive
Symptoms on Nabby. Charles is free from any Complaints. Mrs. Cranch gone through it
very Lightly. Mr. Cranch { 83 } comfortable with Eruptions, also his Daughter Lucy. Betsy Cranch gone through it.
Billy Cranch is in the Doubtful State. My Son well with Eruptions on Him. Jona. Sweetser
your Fathers Smiths Boy, has attended upon them ever since they have been in Town
(suppos'd to have had it in his Infancy) this Day broke out with it.—Am informd that
a Jamaica Vessell with 300 Hhds. Sugar yesterday morning got into Providence taken
by our Capt. Chase.—Pray what is Hopkins Fleet about.—Would not our Privateers do
service at Newfoundland among the Liverpool Men.